James



JAMESS. GRIFFITH, GF ST. LOUIG, MISSOURI.

Letters Patent No. 86,531, dated-February 2,' 1869.

ROVEMENT IN Lw-WATER INDICATORS FOR BOLERS,

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and. making part of the same.

.To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, J AMES S. GRIFFITH, of the city and county of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Water- Gauges for Steam-Boilers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming pariof this specilication, and in which- Figure I represents an end view of a boiler with my improved water-gauge applied thereto, andy Figure 2, a sectional view at right angles to iig. l, and on an enlarged scale,of said gauge. g Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. v

This improvement has reference to that description of water-gauges or 'water-level. indicators for steamboilers, in which the rise and fall of a doa-t Within the boiler or chamber connected therewith, is caused to indicate, by means of an index, or hand and dial, on the outside of the boiler, the level ofthe water in the latter.

In water-gauges of this description there have heretofore beenl two seiious defects, namely:

Frst, the connection of the float-arm or rod, and arrangement of the usual packing at such joint or connection, on the inside of the gauge or indicator proper, which is inconvenient, on account of the inaccessibility of such connection, by its being under cover of the glass lying outside the face of the dial, and which is also attendant with the disadvantage of collecting water, produced by the leakage of steam at and past said connection, within the gauge or between the dial and glass.

Another, or second, defect, under previous constructions, has been that .the gauge 'or its index has been so connected withwthe float-arm or rod, as that it has not been adjustable in relation thereto, or at least not without detachment, and taking oi the glass to the gauge, and which provision is often desirable to adjust the index or hand relatively to the iioat, in case of the float-arm having become accidentally or unduly bent, as not unirequently occurs in cleaning out the boiler.

My invention obviates both these defects, and consists- First, in such a construction of parts, as that the joint or connection between the oat-arm, or rod, and index, or hand, also bearing to the' rod and packing, or stuling-box thereto, if a packing or stuing-box be needed, is orare arranged on the outside of the gauge.

Secondly, the invention consistsin an adjustable conf nection, outside of the gauge, of the index, orv hand, with the float-arm, or rod, whereby said hand may be readily adjusted, relatively to the Afloat, without disturbance of the gauge.

Referring to the accompanying drawing- A represents the box or case of the gauge, containing the dial B, and index, or hand U.

D is the bent float-arm or rod, which serves to ,work the index. Said rod, for convenience of construction and puttingtogether of parts, is here shown as made in sections, or divided into separate lengths outside of the boiler, the one section screwing into the other, as at a.

E is a hollow plug, `fitted through the head of the boiler, and which serves to establish connection of the gauge with the boiler, the head or end of the latter being clamped between an inside nut, b, screwing on said plug, and a nut or head7 o, of a sleeve, F, that screws at its outer end into a socket or box, G, which forms a projection from a bracket, H, that is fastened by screws d d, and serves to carry the dial-boX or case A oi the gauge.

I is the glass in front of the dial and index.

The float-arm, or rod, D passes, with freedom to turn, through the plug E, sleeve F, and socket G, where it is made to take its bearing, and may belsuitably packed by or through a glandJ, screwing into the forward end of the socket G, which,` by reason of the bracket H, lies at some little distance from the back of the case A.

In the space thus established between the socket G, or gland J, and back of the case A, I make the connection of the float-arm or rod D with the index-socket orv arbor K, that is run out through the back of the case'A,for the purpose.

In this way the joint o1` connectionl of the iioat-arm, or rod, and index is arranged outside ofthe gauge,'with every facility for inserting or tightening up the packing if necessary, in or to the bearing-box or socket G, without disturbance of the gauge, and with peiiect protection against steam leaking past the rod D, passing into and condensing within the gauge, inasmuch as steam passing said rod has free escape to the atmosphere between the box G or gland J, and hack of the case A, or socket K, to the index.

To provide for the separate adj ustability of the .in-

deX', or hand, C relatively to the fica-t, should the arm or rod of the latter have become accidentally or unduly bent, or whenever such adjustment is necessary, I cause the forward end of the iloatfrod to enter, with freedom of turning, a cavity in the barok of the index or arbor K, `that thus may be turned or set on the float-rod from the outside, and without disturbance ofthe gauge, and, when set, be secured by a set-screw, g, to the rod, so as to be moved by the latter in the rise and fall of the yfloat.

By simply slackeuing the set-screw g, and taking out the screws d d, which unite the bracketH to the case A, the gauge may be removed from all connection with the iioat, for the purpose ofV repair or otherwise, while the boiler is at work, without establishing an escape for the steam.

What is here claimed, and desired to De secured by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination with the gauge-case A of the bracket H, with its socket G, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the protruding index-arbor K with the float-rod D, substantially as herein described.

Witnesses :V JAMES S. GRIFFITH.

J. W. Oconee, FRED. HAYNES. 

